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<br /> Anoka County 2019 <br />Multi-Jurisdictional <br />All Hazards Mitigation Plan <br /> <br /> 99 <br />Due to climate and geographic location the likely <br />occurrence of tornados can be a frequent <br />occurrence for the City of Blaine. With Blaine’s rate <br />of growth and construction practices loss impact <br />from future tornados would be more significant than <br />what has been seen historically. <br /> <br /> <br />Although tornadoes have affected Anoka County <br />infrequently in the past, probability of damage from <br />this hazard in the future is likely. The entire county <br />is at equal risk of future occurrences. While higher <br />population and housing densities in the <br />municipalities set the stage for increased impact, <br />the potential for property damage and loss of live is <br />equally high for the unincorporated areas of the <br />county due to the large number of mobile homes <br />throughout the rural areas. A detailed list of Tornado <br />incidents is in Appendix A. <br /> <br /> <br />105B4.3.1.5 Severe Weather – Winter Storms <br />Winter storms include heavy snow, blizzards <br />and extreme cold. Winter storms in <br />Minnesota often include extreme cold and ice. <br />These storms are especially hazardous in <br />terms of closing emergency routes, creating <br />power and utility system failures, and <br />immobilizing economic activity. <br /> <br />In Minnesota, a heavy snow event is defined <br />by six or more inches of snow in a 12-hour <br />period and eight or more inches of snow in a <br />24-hour period. Snow is considered heavy <br />when visibilities drop below one-quarter mile <br />regardless of wind speed. <br /> <br />Blizzards are the most violent of the winter <br />storms and are characterized by low <br />temperatures, usually below 20° Fahrenheit, <br />accompanied by strong winds in excess of 35 <br />miles per hour with enough snow in the air <br />caused by either falling or blowing snow to <br />create visibilities of one-quarter mile or less <br />for an extended period of time, usually at <br />least three hours or more. While blizzards can <br />occur in Anoka County from October through <br />April, they most commonly occur from <br />November through the end of March. <br /> <br />Two Tornados were confirmed in Anoka County <br />in 2017